Elevating device



Feb. 21, 1933. o. BORGEN 1,898,711

ELEVATING DEVI CE Filed Aug. 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. OZA/ 50/?6'E/V Patented Feb. 21, 1933 4 UNITED STATES OLAI .BGRGEN, or RENNER, sour}: DAKOTA ELEVATING DEVICE Application filed August 15, 1929. Serial No. 386,071.

This invention appertains to garages'for automobiles and has for one of its prlmary objects the provision of novel means for forming a garage in a basement or sub-cellar of a residence or building below the normal ground level, with novel means for raising and lowering the vehicle into and out of the garage thus formed.

Another important object of my invention 9 is the provision of novel means for storing automobiles below the normal ground level adjacent to and communicating with the cellar of a building or residence, said means embodying a vertically-movable platform for rel? ceiving the automobile, with novel means for raising and lowering the platform so that the vehicle can be lowered into or raised out of the garage without undue effort on the part of the driver of the automobile, thereby rendering the garage adaptable for residences where the automobile is used daily.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a cover for the garage and novel means for facilitating the raising and lowering ofthe coverof the garage, whereby the samecan be conveniently manipulated both from .the inside and outside of the garage without undue exertion on the part of the operator. 7 1 v e A still further object of my invention is to provide novel means for raising and lower ing the platform for the automobile by-the automobile itself, thereby rendering it unnecessary to provide an external source of owerr A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved device for raising and lowering automobiles into and out of underground garages of the above character, which 9 will be durable and efiicient in use, onethat will be simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can-be placed upon the market and incorporated with abuilding at a small cost. With these and other objects in view, the 5 invention consists in thenovel-construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a top. plan view of my improved garage showing the cover thereof in its raised position, the wall of the adj aoent residence or other building being shown in horizontal section; I r

.Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through my improved garage taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the platform for the automobile in .its lowered position and the cover for the garage in its lowered position; Figure 3 is a similar view looking in the opposite'direction from Figure 2 and taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on 5 the line 4-4: of Figure 1 looking'in the direction ofthe arrows; F igure'5 is a similar view 'lookinginithe opposite direction and taken on the line 5-'5 ofFigure 1 looking in the direction of the :9

arrows; j Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the counterbalancing weight 1inliployed for the platform for the automo- 1 e; v Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the weight, and.

Figure 8 is a detail transverse section through the counterbalancingweight for. the platform for theautom-obiletaken on the 9 line 88 of Figure 6. 1

. Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates my improved underground garage and B Y a res idence or other building beside which the garage can be built. 1 1 In build'ng my improved garage I excavate a pit 10 alongside of the building 13 of the desired dimensions to accommodate an automobile and the walls of the pit are preferably reinforced by concrete or the likel'l. The pit is preferably dug. at a point convenient to the residence B so that access can be had thereto from the cellar of the residence whereby persons can enter into, and leave the garage from the cellar of the house. The communication between thecellar'and the garage permitting the keeping of the garage warm from the cellar in the winter season.

The ceiling or roof of the garage is provided with a suitable opening 13 preferably of slightly larger dimensions than an automounted in bearing brackets 16 anchored in;

the ground at one side of the door.

In order to facilitatethexraisingand lowering of the door or cover 14, I provide counterbalancingweights 17 and 18 therefor. The weight 17 is formed relatively heavy and is -connected to-thelower end-of a cable 19 having its intermediate portion trained over a guide pulley=20 secured to the side wall of the building-B above the ground level; The end "of th'e cable oppositeto the weight 17 is secured to the trap door 14. The weight 18 isiof a smaller size and is held in a-plane higher-than the heavy weight 17 and is secured to thelower end of a relatively long cable21 which-is trained about suitable guide pulleysi22 secured to one wall" of the garage or pit 10 adjacent to the opposite ends thereof. The pulleys 22' are arranged adjacent to the; opposite end of the" door-opening 13 and the cable 21 is extended through the walhor ceiling of the garage and is trained overa pulley 23' secured to the sidewall of the building 1B: This cableis in turn-attached to the trap door 14. The weights17 and 18areof 'such'a sizeor weight as to effectively counterbalance the door 14* and when it is desired to raise the same, it'is merely necessary to lift up on the door 14 and the weights will tend 'to move the door to its raised position. It can beseen that the heavyweight 17 will strike the floor of the garage firstgbut that the smaller weight will continue itspull on the door.

lVhen it is desired to open the door-from the inside ofthe: garage; it is merely necessarytopull down on either one of the cables 19="0r21.

Arranged withinthe pit or garage 10 is-a vertical movable platform "25 on which the vehicle isdrivento permit the same to be raised and lowered into the'pit or garage.

\Vhi'le. the platform 25 may be constructed in any desired or preferredway, I have shown the same consisting of end transversetimbers 26*and longitudinally extending timbers 27. The-longitudinal-timbers 27 support U- shapedor L=shaped guide tracks or rails 28 onwhich the wheels of the vehicle-are driven. As shown in'Figure 2 of the drawings, the longltudinaltimber's can befurther braced by angle bars29; -This formsa'strong and du rable structure and this platform is of such a size asto'completely fill the opening 13 in the top of the pit or garage so that the automobile can be driven directly from the driveway onto the rails or tracks 28.

I have provided novel means for raising and lowering the platform into and out of the garage and I propose to use the power directly from the automobile for this purpose.

The platform and the weight of the car to be raised and lowered are nicely balanced by the use of a counterbalancing weight 35 whic extends longitudinally of the pit or garage at one side of the platform.

This counterbalancing weight 35 is of novel construction and includes a base weight member 36 preferably formed of concrete having an I-beam 37 embeddedtherein. The I-beam has connected to the opposite ends thereof upstanding hanging loops 38 so as to permit the weight to be connected tothe raising and lowering cables, as will be lat-er described. 7 The weight besides the base member 36* also includes any preferred number of concrete slabs 39 which are laid one upon the other on the base member-over the loops 38,--the concrete slabs-being provided with-openings 40 for this purpose. As heretobefore stated the platform and-the weight of the car are nicely balanced by the counterbalancing weight 35 and-"thusmore or less of the'concrete slabs 39-are utilized, accordingto theweight of the car beingrai'sed or'low ered.

Connected to the supporting loops or shackles 38 at each'end of the platform are counterbalancing 1 cables '41 and 42. These cables are firsttr'ained' over supporting pulleys 43 and 44 and the cables4l are then trained over second pulleys 45 and then downward andfrigidly secured to the adjacent corners' of the platform. The cables 42 are trained over pulleys 46 and are then brought down and rigidly secured 1 tothe other or'inn'ercorners of the platform. By this arrangement'it can be -"seen that the platform is supported at all four corners.

A drum'47 is rotatably-mounted insuitable bearings 50 carried by a suitable bracket structurefilconnected with 1 the platform. Trained around the-drum are-hoistingand lowering "cables 48 and 49'which areindeto the top thereof. On one side ofthe-drum I arrange a transversely extending drive shaft 52 which is journal'ed in the longitudinal beams 27 whichjcan be provided with'any preferred-type of bearings therefor. The shaft 52 is provided with-a worm-53 which meshes with a worm wheel 54011 the topof the drum 47, whereby upon rotation of the worm 53, the drum will be rotated.

Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 52 adjacent to the opposite terminals thereof are drive pulleys or traction wheels 55 which extend through slots 56 in the guide tracks or rails 28 of the platform which receive the automobile. I also prefer to arrange in front of the drive pulleys or traction wheels 55 guide pulley wheels 57 which can be journalled in any preferred manner to the longitudinal beams 27 and these wheels 57 also extend through the slots 56 formed in said rails or tracks 28. It is to be noted that the wheels 55 and 57 are so placed as to permit the rear wheels of an automobile to be received therebetween.

From the foregoing it is obvious that when an automobile is driven on the tracks 28 with the rear wheels resting between the pulley wheels 55 and 57 and that when the vehicle is driven in one direction, the drum 47 will be rotated thereby in one direction, and consequently wind up or pay off the cables 41 and 42 in opposite directions on the drum. WVhen the rear wheels of the motor vehicle are driven in the opposite direction, the drum will consequently be rotated in the opposite direction and then the cables will be wound on or paid off of the drum, as the case might be.

It is obvious that the winding up orthepaying off of the cables 48 and 49 will effectively raise and lower the platform with the automobile thereon. In this process of raising and lowering the platform by the power of the automobile, the counterbalancing weight 35 herein described will very materially help and it will in effect reduce the weight of the platform carrying the automobile.

In use of my improved device, the cover 14 for the pit or garage is moved to its raised position and considering that the platform 25 is already raised, the automobile is driven directly on the tracks 28. If preferred, after the automobile is disposed on the tracks in such a manner that the rear wheels thereof will engage the pulley wheels 55 and 57 of the platform, the vehicle can be chained to the platform so as to prevent accidental forward or rearward movement thereof incident to the turning of the rear wheels. The rear wheels can now be turned backwards or forwards as the case might be, in order to wind the drum in the desired direction and the counterbalancing weight 35 will be raised and the platform and the vehicle will be lowered into the garage or pit.

The driver of the vehicle can now stop the engine and step out of the automobile and by lifting up on the weights l7 and 18, the door 14 can be moved to its closed position. The vehicle will now be safely stored away and the driver thereof can enter the cellar of his house through the communicating doorway.

When it is desired to use the automobile again, the-operatorpulls down onthe weights 17 'and'18 so as to raise the door 14 and the engine of the vehicle-is started inthe usual way. The gears are shifted so as to drive the rear wheels of the: vehicle in the desired direc-' tion and the drum will be rotated so as to permit the lowering of the Weight and the raising of the platform. After the platform has been raised to thedesired level, the driver of the vehicle can then-drive his car off of the platform "into the driveway, after which the cover 14 is again moved to its lowered position.

As clearly shown in Figure 4, the platform 25 is slidably mounted by means of brackets 60 on supporting posts 61, which effectively guides the platform during its raising and lowering movement.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of thisinvention, but:

lVhat I claim as new is:

1. In anunderground garage for automobiles, a vertically movable platform, said garage comprising side walls, a top wall having an entrance and exit opening therein,

thereof, guiding rods interposed between said top wall and said floor, means for anchoring said platform upon said guiding rods whereby said platform will be held against lateral and longitudinal shifting movement and at the same time will bepermitted to have a raising and lowering movement, and traction wheels carried by said platform for driving said drum for winding and unwinding said cables upon the drum.

2. In an underground garage of the class described having side, end and top walls, said garage also having a floor, a movable platform, means adapted to Contact with the floor for supporting the platform in spaced relation with respect to the floor when the platform is in its lowered position, vertically extending guide rods interposed between the floor and the top of the garage, means carried by the platform and engaging said rods for permitting raising and lowering of the platform and holding the platform against lateral and longitudinal shifting movement, lifting cables, an operating drum for winding said cables, pulleys for guiding said cables.

upon said platform and also upon the walls of said'garaggeaid Gables beingfs'ecufed to the walls of thegara'ge-near the top thereof, counterbalancing means for facilitating the raising" and lowering of the pl'atform, the top of the garage beingprovided with an Opening for permitting an automobile carried by the 'plzitformto'be raised out of the garage and lowered intO "the same; and a cover for the opening formed in the 'top Of the'garage.

In testimony whereof I 'a'ifixmy signature.

OLAI BORGEN. 

